Quadrille Minutia

My dance card is full

So I heard this Strauss Nocturne Quadrille on the radio a bit ago. Let's just take that apart; Strauss the waltz king composer, nocturne = evening, quadrille= aha! I knew it was a dance and also knew it had something to do with those big Austrian horse shows....but wait...

The term quadrille came to exist in the 17th century, within military parades, in which four horsemen and their mounts performed special square-shaped formations or figures. The word quadrille is probably derived from the Spanish word cuadrillo (Spanish diminutive of cuadro, meaning small square from Latin quadrus, quadra, quadratus meaning square, block or square section, squared or square-shaped, respectively).

Is there more? Yes yes yes:

Where the music was new with every quadrille composed, the names of the five parts (or figures) remained the same. And if it were performed with dancers – audiences also preferred to listen to the dance alone, and not dance to it – the way of dancing to the parts remained (mostly) the same too. The parts^[1] were called:

1. Le Pantalon (a pair of trousers)
2. L’été (summer)
3. La Poule (hen)
4. La Pastourelle (shepherd girl)
5. Finale

   

   A Quadrille "Faux Pas"

All the parts were popular dances and songs from that time (19th century). Le Pantalon was a popular song, where the second and third part were popular dances. La Pastourelle was a well-known ballad by the cornet player Collinet. The finale was very lively.

Thus armed with the precious knowledge that no one else in your office may know, you can go on with your day.